“…glad to have had the honor of suffering
humiliation for the sake of the name…”
--Acts 5:41
How often do we (do I) offer myself to God, to submit to God’s will, to serve God, to bring God’s love and presence into the world, to reveal God’s glory through my life—how often have I made that offer, and yet always with some stipulation attached? Some small print, some terms & agreements! In the hope that –like the rest of us—God won’t read them. But will be bound by them anyway.
Yes, Lord, I say loud and clear, and all the while I am whispering: but on my terms! Yes, Lord, I will serve You, give my life to You, but –like Frank Sinatra said, You have to do it My way! You have to reveal Your glory through me, My way!
I will be Your servant, but serving You has to look like this:
1. I give myself to God
2. God glorifies my work (out of gratitude for my gift)
3. All my friends and coworkers sees how humble and holy I am (and tell me)
4. Everybody loves me and sings my praises for being so humble and holy
5. I win the Nobel Prize for Humility and Holiness and give a big speech that gets on the front page of every newspaper in the world
6. CBS offers me my own morning show with Hoda
It’s all there, Lord. In the small print. When you clicked “accept” You agreed to the Terms & Agreements. It’s not my fault You didn’t read them…! You’re the one who is supposed to be so high and mighty Mr. Omniscient!
But, of course, I have to wonder: is that really giving? Do we treat anyone else this way?
Happy Birthday! Here’s your present. It’s a brand new Maya Angelou, Barbie! You can keep it as long as you agree to follow MY Terms of appropriate playing and enjoyment. Otherwise, you have to return it to me, in the original packaging with all shoes still in pairs.
No, of course not. That’s not really giving. But I know, deep in my heart, that sounds a lot like the way I treat my gifts to God. If I am honest with myself, I may be saying: Thy will be done, but what I really mean is My will be done. Instead of giving myself to God, too often I’m really asking God to give Himself to me.
Reading the book of Acts this morning, I came across this odd idea of being glad for the honor of suffering humiliation for God. The disciples have been arrested and chastised, and flogged even and they leave with the bruises and welts still on their flesh, glad for the honor of suffering humiliation for God’s name.
And that made me begin to contemplate my own terms & agreements. Called to mind, my ever-present ego, always making demands and putting stipulations on my gifts to God. The disciples aren’t telling God how to run things, they aren’t telling God what glory looks like, they aren’t even demanding equitable or fair or just treatment. Instead, they give themselves wholly to God and whether that means hunger or plenty, heat or cold, suffering humiliation or being praised for healing a lame beggar, they praise God; they give all glory and honor to Him. Even to the point of being “glad to have the honor of suffering humiliation for the sake of the name” of Jesus.
This is what it means to truly live out the prayer: Not my will, but Thy will be done. (cf Luke 22:42)
No small print. No stipulations. No secret Terms & Agreements. Just: Yes. In good or bad, honor or humiliation, silence and suffering, laughter and celebration… Always, yes.
Whether pandemic and poverty or prizes and Post Toasties! Always, Yes.
And in that yes, we will find true peace. Because it isn’t really about us, about our plans and priorities. It’s about becoming who we were truly made to be… children of light, children of hope, children of God. And all it takes is found in that one word… No small print, just one simple: Yes.
